Sensor system

Abstract

A sensor strip comprises an electrode substrate, an electrode set, on the electrode substrate, and a heat conducting layer, on the electrode substrate opposite the electrode set. A sensor instrument for use with this sensor strip comprises a temperature sensor, at a side of a gap for accepting the sensor strip, opposite electrical contacts. The invention provides an accurate determination of the temperature of a sample.

1. A sensor system for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a biological sample, said sensor system comprising:
 a sensor instrument, said sensor instrument comprising a housing having a gap formed therein, said sensor instrument further comprising electrical contacts at a first side of said gap and a temperature sensor at a second side of said gap opposite said first side; and 
 a sensor strip, said sensor strip comprising an electrically-insulating electrode substrate, an electrode set on a first side of said electrode substrate, and a heat conducting layer on a second side of said electrode substrate opposite said first side, said heat conducting layer comprising at least 20% by volume of said sensor strip and having a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m-K, said sensor strip receivable in said gap such that said electrode set electrically communicates with said electrical contacts, and said heat conducting layer communicates with said temperature sensor. 
 
     
     
       2. The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein said heat conducting layer comprises a metal or an alloy. 
     
     
       3. The sensor system of  claim 2 , wherein said metal or. Alloy comprises at least 45% by volume of said sensor strip. 
     
     
       4. The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor strip further comprises a base between said electrode substrate and said heat conducting layer. 
     
     
       5. The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein said heat conducting layer has a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/m-K. 
     
     
       6. The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein said heat conducting layer has a thermal conductivity of at least 200 W/m-K. 
     
     
       7. The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein said heat conducting layer comprises copper, alloys of copper, aluminum, or alloys of aluminum. 
     
     
       8. The sensor system of  claim 7 , wherein said heat conducting layer comprises copper. 
     
     
       9. The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor strip further comprises a reagent disposed on said electrode set. 
     
     
       10. The sensor system of  claim 9 , wherein said reagent comprises at least one agent catalytically reactive with said analyte for electrochemically measuring said analyte concentration. 
     
     
       11. The sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein said sensor strip further comprises a dielectric disposed on said electrode set. 
     
     
       12. The sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein the analyte is glucose, and the reagent comprises glucose dehydrogenase. 
     
     
       13. The sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein the analyte is glucose, and the reagent comprises glucose dehydrogenase and ferricyanide. 
     
     
       14. The sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein the analyte is glucose, and the reagent comprises glucose dehydrogenase and diaphorase. 
     
     
       15. A method for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a sample, comprising:
 providing an electrochemical sensor system, said electrochemical sensor system comprising a sensor instrument and a sensor strip, said sensor instrument comprising a housing having a gap formed therein for receiving said sensor strip, electrical contacts at a first side of said gap, and a temperature sensor at a second side of said gap; said sensor strip comprising an electrically-insulating electrode substrate, an electrode set on a first side of said electrode substrate, and a conducting portion on a second side of said electrode substrate, said conducting portion comprising at least 20% by volume of said sensor strip and having a thermal conductivity of at least 10 W/m-K, said electrode set comprising at least two electrodes, said sensor strip further comprising a sensing region for receiving said sample; 
 inserting said sensor strip into said sensor instrument gap such that said electrodes electrically communicate with said electrical contacts, and said conducting portion thermally communicates with said temperature sensor; 
 applying said sample to said sensing region of said sensing strip; and 
 electrochemically reacting said analyte in said sample with a reagent to provide an electrochemical signal corresponding to a concentration of the analyte in the sample at a temperature of said conducting portion. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein said electrical contacts are at an upper side of said gap, and said temperature sensor is at a lower side of said gap, and wherein said temperature sensor contacts a bottom portion of said sensor strip. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein said bottom portion of said sensor strip comprises a heat conducting layer. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said heat conducting layer comprises at least one copper, alloys of copper, aluminum, or alloys of aluminum. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein said heat conducting layer comprises copper.